'False and fabricated': DMK's P Wilson defends Udhayanidhi Stalin after detention over alleged remarks on actor Trisha

Speaking to ANI, Wilson claimed that Udhayanidhi Stalin had not made the alleged remarks attributed to him and accused the state government of suppressing dissent.

DMK MP P Wilson on Tuesday termed the detention of Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin an "atrocious act" by the Tamil Nadu government, alleging that the FIR against him was aimed at diverting attention from issues concerning farmers and the Cauvery water dispute. Speaking to ANI, Wilson claimed that Udhayanidhi Stalin had not made the alleged remarks attributed to him and accused the state government of suppressing dissent.

"This is one of the atrocious acts of the state government. Yesterday, the DMK party arranged for a statewide agitation because the ruling TVK government has given up and is not working for the rights of the farmers and the people of Tamil Nadu. Since Udhayanidhi pointed out that the Chief Minister is always thinking about suppressing the voices of dissent, the police have now registered an FIR against him," Wilson said. He further stated that the issue had also been raised in Parliament.

"We have raised this issue in Parliament to say that democratic voices are being scuttled by the ruling TVK government. Anyone who has heard the speech will know that no such speech was made. Only to sidetrack the issue of farmers, the government itself has planted this news. There is no truth in such an allegation. It is false and fabricated news about Udhayanidhi Stalin," he added. Meanwhile, senior DMK leader RS Bharathi alleged that Udhayanidhi Stalin had been detained for performing his political duty and claimed the police action amounted to contempt of court.

"He has been arrested for doing his duty. Despite the court telling them not to arrest after 12 noon, he has been arrested. This is contempt of court. There is no law and order in Tamil Nadu. They will have to pay for this. The people will not tolerate this. We will counter this. He did not mention the name of Trisha," Bharathi told ANI. Tamil Nadu Assembly Leader of Opposition and DMK MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin, who was detained by the Police on Tuesday over his alleged remarks regarding the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's friendship with actor Trisha, alleged that a "fake narrative" was created against him.

The Thanjavur (East) police took the DMK leader into detention from his residence in Neelankarai, Chennai, and transferred him to Thanjavur, where he is expected to be questioned in connection with an FIR registered over his public address at a Cauvery protest meeting. Udhayanidhi Stalin has been booked under Sections 61, 79, 192, 196, 296(b), 351(2), and 352 of the BNS, Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, and Section 67 of the IT Act.

Speaking to reporters following his detention, Udhayanidhi denied making any derogatory remarks and said the controversy was the result of edited and misleading content being circulated. "They have propagated fake news by using 'Cut, Copy, Paste' to claim I said something I never said. I am not the kind of person to be intimidated by all this. I will face it legally," Udhayanidhi Stalin said. He described the police action against him as a "comedy."

The controversy erupted after Udhayanidhi, while addressing the gathering, was interrupted by sections of the crowd chanting "Trisha, Trisha." Pausing briefly, he allegedly remarked, "Whether the water reaches anywhere else or not, it should reach there," before clarifying that he was referring to the Cauvery water. Following the remarks, the women's wing of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) lodged a complaint at the Thanjavur police station, alleging that the DMK leader made a double-entendre remark targeting actor Trisha.

Udhayanidhi's remarks also triggered sharp political reactions, with BJP and TVK leaders demanding an apology, while the DMK has maintained that his comments were misrepresented and did not refer to any individual. TVK MLA Rhevanth Charan termed the remark "disgusting" and accused the DMK leadership of lowering the standards of political discourse.

"Absolutely disgusting. Passing such disgraceful comments against anyone is completely unacceptable. It exposes the mindset, political culture, and declining standards of the Arivalayam clan. Your announced protest collapsed even before it could begin. Now, desperate for attention, you have resorted to cheap provocation and engagement farming. This is precisely why the people of Tamil Nadu rejected you and confined you to the position you are in today. Continue with this arrogance and indecency, and you will soon be erased from public relevance altogether. Even by Arivalayam's already abysmal standards, this is a new low," Charan said. The DMK has, however, stated that Udhayanidhi's comments were directed solely at the government's failures.

DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said, "I listened to his entire speech. Nothing was said as people are claiming. He only listed out the CM's failures. Nothing was insulting in his speech. He did not even mention the name of the actor. He was only attacking the government. The problem with this government is that they don't care about the people of Tamil Nadu. They are being used by someone to attack the DMK. Their party started only to attack us." (ANI)